[Momof2boysinOH]

Hi Everyone,

I still have over a month until I can start the process for China, but I wondered about something after doing some reading. I read that Macao (I've also seen it spelled Macau) was turned back over to China by Portugal in 1999. Due to so many years of Portuguese rule, there are some Macanese people (Chinese/Portuguese) and the cuisine can be a medley of Chinese and Portuguese dishes. I found this very interesting since my husband is Portuguese.

Have you ever heard of children being referred from Macao? Is it even possible to request it? Of course I'm open to any province but I thought traveling to Macao would be neat.

[AmoyGirl]

Hi Mary,

I don't have an answer for you (though I don't *think* there is an international adoption relationship with Macau, due to the lack of info on the State Department website), but just wanted to say that Macau is gorgeous! The architecure and cuisine are such an interesting mix of European and Chinese cultures.

Even if it's not possible to adopt from Macau, maybe you could find time to visit anyway on your adoption journey, before you go to meet your child. It's an easy day trip from Hong Kong, and worth the journey if you have time.

Morgan

[twoinblue]

I saw a very interesting story on Macau on the Travel Channel.

There have been some postings on this site from people whose children had unusual (for Chinese) facial features and hair that was not straight and silky but curly and coarser. The way they described these babies reminded me of the people I saw on the show. I guessed that they came from the same region.

I understand that a great deal of the adoptions are from Southern China. I wonder if the people who work in matching rooms would pick up on your husband's facial features. It would be exciting if they matched you with a girl from Portugese heritage.

[Momof2boysinOH]

I emailed my agency and they told me they have never had a referral from Macau. However, they said I'm more than welcome to request a child from Macau and see what happens. We're open to any province but thought if there were babies from Macau we'd request that. Has anyone made a request for a specific province? Does this delay the matching process at all?
Thanks!

[candace marrin]

do the children from the different provinces of china look different? why is it that a person would request a child from a specific province? candy

[terryb]

We have requested a child from Guangdong province. This is where my grandmother is from. I think that some families might request a particular province because of family connections to this province. In addition to the family connection, we think it would be great if our child came from a Cantonese speaking environment as my parents and I speak Cantonese too.

Our agency has said that we could make the request and that this is all it would be--a request. They said China might grant this, they might not. So we are hopeful but we completely understand if this might not work out.

I think that some others might request the province where their other children are from.

I haven't heard anything about babies from Macau ... perhaps they are not restricted to the one-child policy as I believe is the case in Hong Kong.

[Momof2boysinOH]

terryb--Thanks for your reply! I have heard of parents requesting 2nd children from the same province their first children are from. Thanks for sharing.

candice--I don't know what the children look like, but that's not the reason we'd like to request Macau. From what I've read, Macau has a strong Portuguese influence. Mandarin AND Portuguese are both the official languages, the food is a blend of both Chinese & Portuguese cuisine, and the architecture is also European inspired. I just thought Macau would be neat because my husband is Portuguese so there would be that connection. Of course we're open to any province but we plan to request Macau just in the off chance any children are referred from there.

[twoinblue]

They actually did look quite different in the special I saw. They had thicker, coarser hair and some facial features that are clearly from their Portugese ancestry. Well, I say clearly. They were to me.

I lived in Hawaii for four years and there is a strong Portugese influence mixed in with all of the Asian and Polynesian races. It was very cool to see all the hints of ancestry in different people. I think it makes them some of the most beautiful people in the world.

There seems to me a big difference in the look of Chinese people between North and South China.

[AmoyGirl]

I didn't realize that you could request children from a specific province! Well, I knew that people who had Chinese heritage could make province requests based upon where their ancestral home is, but I didn't realize the rest of "us" could do that. It doesn't matter to us at all what province our child comes from--but we did think it would be meaningful if we could adopt from the province we lived in for two years, Fujian province, since it already has a special place in our heart. I will have to take note of that. I realize it would only be a request, but still, it's something to think about!

And, no, I don't believe Macau is subject to the one-child policy, as, like Hong Kong, it is an autonomous region.

[froggygirl30]

This may sound a little weird but if you go to google images and type in macau babies their is a picture of a father holding his child. I'm guessing they're from macau, they have a website if you click on the pic.